The Iranian short film "Alone Together", written and directed by Omid Mirzaei, took home the Best International Short Film award at the 15th Anthem Film Festival in the United States. The film was produced by Saeed Khani in collaboration with the Rafsanjan Young Cinema Association.
The Anthem Festival, known for celebrating films that explore individual freedoms, civil liberties, self-reliance, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the power of persuasion over coercion, honored Alone Together for its compelling storytelling and cinematic excellence.
Alone Together has previously garnered numerous international accolades, including:
• Honorary Award at the 47th Lucas International Film Festival, Germany
• Special Jury Prize at the 28th ZOOM Festival, Poland
• Best Acting and Directing at Imedghassen Festival, Algeria
• Best Film at the Sahara Film Festival, Tunisia
• Best Screenplay and Best Film at Movie Valley, Italy
• Best Editing at the 41st Tehran Short Film Festival, Iran
• Best Short Film at the 23rd Hafez Festival, Iran
The film has also been nominated and screened at numerous international festivals, including the 43rd Fajr Film Festival, 20th Laboor Festival (Turkey), 23rd Reggio Festival (Italy), 20th Vox Canada, 36th Oldenburg Film Festival (Germany), 15th Anthem Libertarian Film Festival (USA), and 11th Iranian Film Week in Australia.
Synopsis: On a winter midnight, a roadside checkpoint becomes suspicious of a bus. Among the passengers, a young boy traveling alone draws the attention of the police, the driver, and the fellow travelers. His journey unfolds as a tense and evocative exploration of human connection and vigilance.
The film features performances by Alireza Thani-Far, Parham Gholamloo, Sadegh Barghai, Mohammad Moheddenia, Seba Amiri, and Mohammad Rashidi. International distribution of the film is handled by Solmaz Etemad.